Love of a Barian
by Durbe the Barian
Summary: Sequel to Whispers of a Barian. After Don Thousand's imminent demise. "You asked if that was all. You were correct. I had another reason. You." HolyIceShipping with a capital H. Only rated because it was the rating of the prequel and I'm unsure of myself.


**Zexal Oneshot**

**Love of a Barian **

**Romance**

**Durbe/Rio**

**Sequel to Whispers of a Barian. After Don Thousand's imminent demise. "You asked if that was all. You were correct. I had another reason. You." HolyIceShipping with a capital H.**

**(Don't own Zexal. If I did, this would be, oh, I don't know, CANON!)**

* * *

Love of a Barian

* * *

Rio looked at the hospital room door before her. A single name was written on the name card beside it.

'Durbe.'

Her stomach twisted as the memory of what had happened in that duel against Vector. She was beginning to dread the thought of going into his room and talk to him again. His bright face was something she couldn't bring herself to see again.

Not after his sacrifice. A sacrifice that had been in vain. He had wished to protect her, and gave her the power necessary to win the duel...but she still lost the duel and his power.

His power as a Barian.

He was human now. What could she possibly say to make up for what had happened?

Nothing came to mind. Guess she'd have to play by ear and hope something worth while came out of her mouth.

Slowly, she slid the door open and looked inside.

The patient within was looking through his window, a rather solemn expression painting his features. The machines had been removed, as well as the oxygen mask, but his face was still pale and weary.

Rio gulped, then forced herself through the door, gaining Durbe's attention rather easily. First his eyes found her, then he turned his head to face her. "Merag," he breathed. "I'm glad you're alright."

"Please, call me Rio," Rio corrected. "I'm not Merag anymore."

Durbe smiled lightly. "I see," he said. "Forgive me, then, milady."

Rio shook her head. "Please don't call me that," she said. "Just Rio."

Then she sat down on the chair beside his bed. "Very well," Durbe said. "My apologies, Rio."

Rio simply sighed and lowered her head.

"Durbe," she began, "what were you thinking?"

"Huh?" went Durbe, his eyes widening slightly.

"Why did you protect me?" Rio asked.

"Huh?"

Rio jerked her head up and clenched her fist. "You heard me!" she practically snapped. "Why did you protect me from Vector like that?"

Durbe's eyes softened and a light smile appeared on his face again. "I was going to lose the duel anyway, Rio," he said. "At the very least, I wanted to give you a chance for victory."

"But in the end, Vector won anyway!" Rio shouted. "You almost died, and for absolutely nothing."

"Rio," Durbe breathed.

"You shouldn't have done that," Rio choked. "I still lost...and you gave me power for nothing."

Durbe just had to chuckle at that. "Rio...I didn't do it for nothing," he said.

Rio's eyes widened slightly as Durbe pulled his hand away from his blanket. Then Durbe proceeded to stroke her hair, a brighter smile gracing his face.

A smile not unlike the smile he wore before he was forced out of Barian World. "I told you before I lost," he said. "You are the most important person in my life. Both you...and Nasch."

Why did Rio feel that he was trying to hide something?

Slowly, Rio took his hand and looked at it. Still terribly pale and dreadfully cold. "Was that the only reason?" she asked, sensing that there was something else he wanted to say.

Durbe chuckled lightly. She always did know when he was hiding something. They worked with each other for too long. (Either that, or he was too much like Ryoga, making him easy to figure out.)

He then tried to sit up, all his weight being focused on his right arm. A hiss escaped him briefly, though he tried to suppress it through gritted teeth. "Durbe!" Rio exclaimed, placing her hand on his shoulder. "Don't do that. You're still too weak to-"

"I'm fine, Rio," he forced out.

"No, you're not," Rio snapped. "Please, lie down."

Durbe reluctantly did as told. As soon as his grey head touched the soft pillow, Rio let out a sigh. "You really shouldn't do that, Durbe," she said. "You could really hurt yourself."

"I'm sorry for worrying you," Durbe said slowly.

"You should be," Rio huffed.

Then she sat back down in the chair and folded her arms across her chest.

Then she sighed. "You're so reckless sometimes, you know that?"

"I know," Durbe said softly, his eyelids falling slowly as exhaustion took hold of him. "However, I cannot change that about me."

Then he fell asleep, allowing Rio to take in his sleeping form.

A smile appeared on her face as she looked down at his. Already, his face had begun to regain its color and he looked more at peace than he had when he left her like that. He was improving, just as the doctors had told her before she came to his room.

How relieving.

"Rio," she heard someone say. Turning her head, she found it to be Ryoga. Obviously coming to pick her up. "Visiting hours are over. We have to go."

"Okay," she said. Then she stood up and left the room.

But not before giving Durbe a kiss on the forehead. "Don't you ever leave me like that again," she mentally commanded as she felt his body heat through her lips.

He was warm, but not feverish. Thank goodness.

"Rio!" Ryoga softly scolded. "Come on."

"I'm coming," Rio said in a singsong manner, practically skipping out of the room with a smile.

* * *

(About a week after.)

Rio was racing towards the park, her D-Gazer in hand. Only moments ago, she had received a message, saying that someone wanted to speak with her. And, while she couldn't see the person's face, she knew who it was.

He's just been released from the hospital, after all.

"Durbe!" she called out, waving her hand in the air as she neared the park.

The boy in question turned his head, a light smile on his face. "Merag," he breathed.

Rio stopped and pouted. "I told you before," she said, "it's Rio."

"I'm sorry," Durbe responded. "I had forgotten."

"Well, try to remember this time," Rio attempted to growl.

She mentally sighed in relief. There Durbe stood, on his feet, leaning against a tall sakura tree that grew in the park. His skin face had regained all its color again, something she wanted to squeal in joy about. His eyes looked as if he still needed a great deal of rest, but they also had a flicker of life in them.

She couldn't remember the last time she'd seen that flicker in his eye. After she and her brother had left Barian World, he'd given up a lot to become a fitting leader in Nasch's place. Sacrifices he believed to not be in vain.

His calming aura. His gentle gaze.

And now, his power as a Barian Emperor.

So much, yet so fruitless.

Or was it.

"How are you feeling, Durbe?" she asked, slowly making her way over to him.

"I'm fine, Rio," Durbe responded. "The doctors simply said I need to take it easy."

"That's good," Rio sighed happily.

Durbe then gave her a light smile and turned his head away. "Rio," he began, "remember what you asked me when you visited me in the hospital?"

"Huh? Yeah," Rio responded. "I told you that you were always so reckless."

Durbe then pushed himself away from the tree. "Before that," he said, "you had asked me why I risked my own safety to ensure your own. And when I told you, you had asked me if that was all the reason I had." He slowly raised his hand to her and stroked her hair. "You asked if that was all." A bright smile appeared on his face. "You were correct. I had another reason." He then wrapped his arms around her body and pulled her into his warm embrace.

"You..."

Rio's eyes widened when that word reached her ears. "What?"

"Rio...you are the most important person in my world," Durbe said slowly. "I could not simply stand there and do nothing while you suffered. I simply would not have been able to allow it."

"What...are you trying to say?" Rio asked, practically forcing those three words to come out of his mouth.

The breeze blew past them as he finally allowed the life-changing words to escape him.

The life-changing words...he'd always wanted to say to her.

"I love you...Rio..."

Rio smiled as she hugged him back.

"After you left me in my room," Durbe continued, "I was trying to figure out whether or not it was wise to speak of it...to speak of my human emotions for you."

Rio then pushed herself away and stared him in the eye.

"Rio," Durbe breathed worriedly.

"First," Rio began, holding up her index finger, "never just hug me without my permission again. Second, don't ever call them 'human emotions.' Barians had them too, you know. Remember Alit?"

Durbe chuckled. Oh yeah. He remembered. He was stuck listening to his crazy reports for he couldn't remember how long after Alit got that crush on Kotori.

"And third," Rio concluded. Then she walked forward and kissed him on his cheek. "You didn't have to worry about telling should be more worried about telling Ryoga."

That brought a smile to Durbe's face. Yeah. Telling her brother was going to be very difficult. After all, he was nothing if not protective.

Without warning, Rio wrapped her arms around his neck and shed tears of happiness. "I love you too, Durbe," she squeaked. "Don't you ever become a shield like that again. You hear?"

Durbe's eyes widened, but then slowly softened again. Then he wrapped his arms around her waist as she pulled herself away. "Only if you never sacrifice yourself like that again," he said, referring to their past lives. Then he winked. "You hear?"

Rio simply chuckled.

Then they looked into each other's eyes, deep grey meeting soft pink. Then they leaned closer.

Then they kissed, their eyes closed to the human world around them. They dove into a world of their own. A world nobody could get in to. It was theirs alone. A world of warmth and joy (With just a little hint of ice.).

Meanwhile, just outside their little world, Ryoga was looking at them, a light grin on his face. "Enjoy your little kiss for now, Rio," he said. "I'm only allowing it this one time. Then you guys are in for a mess of trouble."

And boy, was he telling the truth.

Not that it mattered to them at that point. They were too busy being in love to notice his little threat.

* * *

**D.T.B: I told you guys I'd do a sequel. :) Now, yeah, they probably sounded OOC in that last scene, but I didn't especially care. Love does veeeery crazy things to people. Turning them OOC is one of them. And Ryoga figured, since he couldn't get them OUT of the kiss, he'd just let them enjoy it and kill them later. **

**I hope, just as with Reminiscence, I did Whispers of a Barian honor with this story. Please review. :)**


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